By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 7:18 AM
The St. Louis Board of Education voted last night to table a proposal to close Cleveland High School to allow time for more public debate. They also requested that Superintendent Creg Williams provide more details on what problems are facing the building and exactly where the students will be moved next year. Labels: Schools
Dozens of people showed up to Carr Lane Middle School to defend the "Old Castle" -- parents, aldermen, and white-haired alumni who could remember better days for the Dutchtown landmark.
"The torch has passed to you," Ald. Craig Schmid (20th Ward), a Cleveland alumnus, told the Board. "Future generations will benefit, or not, from the fiduciary decisions that you make."
Schmid toured the building Monday along with Ald. Dorothy Kirner (25th Ward), in whose ward the school resides, and three school board members. While conceding that he is not an engineer, he said that the damage he saw appeared to be the result of years of neglect.
"I know enough to say that anyone that tells you that this school should be closed before a detailed assessment is done, is wrong," he said.
Kirner also addressed the Board. "I cannot have that school closed. It's too dear to me," she said.
She said that the community and the alumni are ready and willing to help. They just need to be told what the needs of the building are and how much needs to be raised.
Public comments came near the begining of the meeting. The decision on Cleveland came near the end of the three-hour session.
Board member Bill Purdy said that he felt that the board needed more information before they could make an informed decision. He said that the public also needed more time to ponder the options.
Purdy proposed at least one public meeting be held at the high school and that the public be allowed to tour the building to see for themselves the physical challenges facing the 93-year-old building.
Board member Peter Downs seconded Purdy's motion to table the decision until next month's meeting. The vote was 5-1. Only Ron Jackson voted against tabling the motion. Bob Archibald left the meeting before the vote.
3 Comments:
Has Archibald ever taken his office seriously?
He should resign. There are plenty of hacks like him who would at least stay until the meetings were over.
5/10/2006 10:28 AM
I don't think they will be able to improve the school enough to make it viable for next year. I hope they don't close it forever but I think that they will have to close it for next year to make the improvements. The earlier they make the decision to close it for next year the sooner they can get onto fixing it.
5/10/2006 10:59 AM
So the southside white aldermen and white school board members don't care about the black children that have to go to school every day in that mess. They don't send their kids in it so let's care more about the building than the little black children. Disgusting!
5/12/2006 5:13 AM
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